The record-breaking summer heatwave experienced province-wide claimed 595 lives.
That’s from the BC Coroners Service.
In Northern Health, 21 people succumbed to heat-related deaths, 12 of which occurred in Prince George.
“The BC Coroners Service is committed to gathering as much information as possible about each of these deaths to inform future, evidence-based prevention efforts,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner.
“I extend my sincere condolences to all of those who lost a loved one as a result of last summer’s unprecedented heat dome. By identifying patterns and factors in the tragic deaths that occurred unexpectedly last summer, our province will be in a better position to prevent future similar tragedies.”
The majority of these deaths were among those between the ages of 50-79 and occurred inside a residence.
Between June 25th and July 1st, 526 people in BC suffered a heat-related death.
The highest numbers of deaths were recorded on June 29th (231 deaths) and June 28th (131 deaths).
The three cities that experienced the highest number of deaths were Vancouver (99), Surrey (67), and Burnaby (63).
Here is the full breakdown of heat-related deaths by community from June 25th to July 1st:
Vancouver – 99
Surrey – 67
Burnaby – 63
New Westminster – 28
Langley – 23
Chilliwack – 22
Abbotsford – 20
Victoria – 18
Coquitlam – 14
Kamloops – 14
Kelowna – 12
Prince George – 12
Nanaimo – 11
Maple Ridge – 10
North Vancouver – 9
Richmond – 8
Port Coquitlam – 7
Mission – 6
Vernon – 5
Other Township – 78